Thursday, November 7, 2013

When I first started printing with a 3D printer, just after the 1st Gen Cube was announced, I discovered that I couldn't really achieve a clean hole in a vertical wall. A little experimentation showed me that I needed to print a hexagon or a pentagon (in the right orientation) to simulate a hole.

That has all been changed with the latest Cubify Client software upgrade! There can be just the tiniest flattening at the top of larger holes. But, it is miniscule and inconsequential to the point where designing a hole in a vertical wall, once something I cautioned against, is now unleashing some new design possibilities.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Frankly, I attribute the remarkable improvements in my recent Cube prints to two things... commitment and resources.

From the very first I know, without a shadow of a doubt that 3D Systems was committed to making the Cube and subsequent 3D printers the best that they could be for the cost of the printer. Obviously, a Cube is never going to deliver the quality of an SLA 3D print. But, for the technology that it uses, it has continued to improve with each software and firmware update.

And, that is where the resources come into play. One of the big reason why I am no longer interested in 3D printer kits is that once built, there are few resources from the kit packagers for major improvements. Software takes expertise, money and man hours. Buying a 3D printer from a company that has both commitment and resources brings the kinds of results all Cube owners will be seeing as they take advantage of the new updates.

The print my Cube is delivering even as I write this, validates Staple's decision to select the Cube as their first foray into personal 3D printing. These recent major improvements in the Cube's ability to deliver quality prints demonstrate, at least to me, that, like Staples, I also made the right choice in selecting a printer to not only use; but, suggest to others to use. I had faith that 3D Systems would continue to do everything they could to make steady improvements in the printer I'd chosen. And, they've continued to deliver.

It's one thing to have the resources to sell a lot of printers and quite another to have the commitment and resources to continue to make those printers even better. My heroes at 3D Systems are the engineers and product managers that continue to make me a VERY happy Cube user. :)

Blogs of Note

Personalizing Help

As my granddaughters grew up, they would search the racks of cups, etc. at places like Cracker Barrel, gift shops and toy stores to see if they could find an item with their name on it. They always came up empty. They could never find a personalized item.

3D printing has solved that problem in our family.

But, what if you don't have a 3D printer. software or time in which to create a personalized 3D item? In that case, I would like to help. Just send me a request and, if possible, I'll try to design the personalized item for you.

Any resulting design will be made available for you and others to download from the Cubify.Com store. Designs will be priced at the lowest current cost permitted on Cubify.com.